


you taught me how to love when nobody ever could

by melodypond_thewomanwhomarriedme



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Smut, Tumblr Prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 06:55:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17055245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodypond_thewomanwhomarriedme/pseuds/melodypond_thewomanwhomarriedme
Summary: A collection of my tumblr prompts!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: “Did you ever get the chance to look?”  
> Pairing: Thirteen/River

The Doctor sits in her bedroom on board the Tardis, a smile on her face as she watches River's silhouette move on the other side of the bathroom door.

Her wife is back.

It makes her heart full, her head spin with love and excitement and happiness - the kind only River could ever give her. Having River back - whole and warm and in her arms - she can't describe how she feels. She loves her wife, and spending centuries apart doesn't make any difference.

She sits on her bed with a wrapped gift in her hand, bouncing excitedly as she waits for River to finish showering - they'd had a very long, passionate reunion on the Tardis console, much to the very loud protests of Yaz, Ryan and Graham. But once River had removed her hand from under the Doctor's shirt and the Doctor stopped kissing River long enough, she explained who River is to her. Graham was the first one to nod and smile in understanding, a sad crinkle in the corner of his eyes as he looks at them.

"We'll leave you be, Doctor." He says quietly. As Yaz and Ryan fumble to ask questions, eyes wide as they stare at River, he speaks over them. "And we'll be heading on back to our rooms. Won't we, kids?"

"Well- " Ryan starts, but Graham stares at him with a little look, and he sighs. "Right. See you tomorrow, Doctor."

"Yeah," Yaz says, looking slightly disappointed. "And the Doctor's wife."

They all give a slight wave as they walk back towards their rooms, whispering together.

"The Doctor's married?"

"Did you _see_ how her wife looks like?"

"The Doctor's _married?_ God, I can't believe it.”

"Shh!"

River had teased her a little afterwards, but the Doctor wasn't in the mood for it. Remembering how River used to get her to stop talking, she pushed River back to the console and grabbed her hips, capturing her lips in another passionate kiss.

Her wife hadn't changed. She delighted in exploring all the parts of her that remained sensitive, parts she hasn't touched in a century. River, on the other hand, delighted in discovering certain erogenous parts on her wife's body, teasing her mercilessly with her wicked tongue and her sinful touch.

Not that the Doctor minded.

But when River finally fell asleep, that was when she remembered what was sitting, waiting on one of the bookshelves in the Tardis library. A perfect gift for River as a 'welcome home and please never leave again' present.

It took a total of twenty minutes for her to find it and wrap it in pink cloth - she'd lost the key to the wrapping paper room a few bodies ago - and when she arrived back in their bedroom, she was a little disappointed to see that River was still taking a shower. Maybe she just really needed a good cleanse. After all, there wasn't really a shower in the database, was there?

River emerges from the bathroom another twenty minutes later, her skin flushed pink and steam emitting from behind her. The effect and the white robe makes her look like a water goddess, and the Doctor gapes at her.

"Oh darling, I have missed making you speechless." River laughs, as she rubs the towel between wet curls. "Your last body was frustratingly hard to surprise."

The Doctor smiles. "That's not how I remembered it. I just never showed it well."

"Same difference." River says, as she takes off her robe and lets it fall to the floor. The Doctor's mouth goes dry and she admires her wife's curves, the way she moves around as she puts on her clothes. She's missed all of it - every part of being with River.

River smirks as though she can feel the Doctor's gaze washing over her skin and she turns back, locking eyes with her wife and winking. The Doctor smiles a little, her cheeks coloured just a bit red - bless. She so does remind her of the one with the bow tie.

River is about to tease the Doctor about picking braces up again when she spots the little package sitting on her lap.

"What do you have there, Doctor?" She asks, tying the knot on her silk robe quickly.

"A little gift for you," the Doctor says, beaming excitedly and reaching out to tug River onto the bed beside her. She hands River the present, tied up with a shoelace that she took from someone - she'll return it later.

River's eyes soften as she looks at the little package, no doubt remembering all the timesthe Doctor showered her with gifts in Darillium. After that little quip about the sonic screwdriver being the first gift the Doctor gave her, her last body had set about ensuring that that statement was no longer true.

"Thank you," she says softly, accepting the package and unwrapping it carefully. It's a little heavy and a little thick, and when she sees a familiar blue pattern, she gasps.

Underneath the hot pink fabric, out falls a Tardis blue book. Old and worn and thoroughly used - thoroughly loved.

"My diary," River breathes, her fingers tracing the cover lovingly. The Doctor is reminded of another set of fingers, older, longer and thinner, gently caressing the same book her wife is holding. "I haven't seen it since- "

"Yeah, I know." The Doctor says, putting her hands over River's on the diary. "But now, there aren't anymore spoilers between us. For real this time. None on my end, at least."

She looks questioningly over at her wife and River shakes her head, still staring at the diary with glassy eyes. "No more spoilers."

The Doctor visibly sags with relief. "Good." She nods, but her smile dims a little when she sees how River is looking at the book. "River?"

"I can't believe you kept it," she whispers, still not looking at the Doctor. "I thought you would've - I don't know - thrown it away or something."

"I couldn't," the Doctor admits. "My last body was - well, he was broken after Darillium. Andkeeping your diary close felt like having you back again."

River sniffs a little, a watery smile on her face as she finally looks into the Doctor's eyes. "Sentimental idiot."

"Always." The Doctor says, smiling widely and gripping River's hands tighter in hers. "Always your idiot."

River leafs through the pages, smudges and stains clear on every page; she really did treasure that diary. She flips through it slowly, a small and sentimental smile on her face as she remembers each of the adventures she had with her spouse.

"Did you ever get a chance to look?" River asks, tilting her head a little towards the book.

The Doctor smiles guiltily. "I used to read it every day. And then I got to Darillium, and I couldn't continue."

River reaches out to tug the Doctor's face closer to hers, tilting her head and capturing her wife's lips in a slow kiss. When she pulls away, she smiles and looks into her wife's eyes, her own filled to the brim with tears.

"Read it with me?" She asks softly.

"From the beginning?" The Doctor asks.

River shrugs. "I've got nowhere else to be."

The Doctor smiles, laying among the pillows, her back against the headrest. River's head is on her shoulder, eyes closed and arms wrapped around the Doctor's middle. She waits for the Doctor's voice to calm and soothe her, the same way it did a thousand times before. No matter which body, the Doctor's voice has a unique ability to lull her into a calm state of mind.

As the Doctor starts reading, River feels herself drift off, content and happy. She can't remember the last time she felt this way - it certainly hadn't been like this in the Library. But with the Doctor in her arms, and her voice in her ear, she feels her heart swell.

 _Happy_. What a beautiful feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “How do you expect me to respond?” / Angst  
> Pairing: Eleven/River

"You don't have to do this, you know." River says quietly, as they wait for the sky to light up in stars - like daylight, but magic, he'd called it.

"Do what?" He asks, fidgeting a little in the grass. He isn't in a comfortable position - they're both lying on their backs, his arm under her head and his body curved slightly. He knows his back will ache when they're done but River looks so content that he didn't want to move.

River takes a moment to respond. She looks sad, even though he can tell she's trying to hide it.

"Any of it." she says, her voice just a mere whisper.

"What do you mean?" He asks, frowning.

"Taking me out. Going out together. These... _dates_ ," she says, her voice slightly stronger. She still won't look at him, but he watches her face carefully, watches as the lines around her eyes and mouth tense up as she continues. "You don't have to treat me differently than you do anyone else."

"Of course I'll treat you differently," he says, looking at her strangely. "You're my wife. How else am I going to treat you?"

She lets out an odd chuckle before sighing and finally looking him in the eye. "No I'm not."

He frowns a little before he raises his eyes, a little panicked as he examines her face.

"Wait, I definitely thought I picked up the right- " he cuts himself off. "No, you're _definitely_  married to me. I picked you up at Stormcage."

"I don't mean it that way," she says. She sighs and sits up, looking down at him with a sort of sad smile he's only ever used to seeing in older versions of her. He doesn't want to see it now, especially not when she's so young - not when their time together has just begun. "We both know that the wedding... it wasn't real, Doctor."

He sits up as well, looking at her with cautious eyes. "What?"

"I practically forced you into it," she smiles guiltily, her hands fidgeting in her lap. "And well - it wasn't exactly how I imagined it'd be. Our wedding, I mean. _My_  wedding."

"We didn't exactly _plan_ it, River- "

"I always dreamed of getting married to you," she confesses, a hint of a blush in her cheeks as she looks down. "But not - not if you don't want it too. No one wants to be trapped in a marriage, Doctor. Certainly not by their _murderer_."

The Doctor stays quiet, examining her features. He knows he hadn't done the best job at showing or telling her how he feels, but he hadn't expected her to be so... _insecure_  about the way he felt about her. He'd always assumed that she would just know, the way she always did.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" she asks tentatively.

"How do you expect me to respond?" he asks, quite sincerely. He doesn't know what to say. "I've - you've just told me that - my own _wife_ doesn't think I love her, I don't - "

Her eyes shine brightly with tears as she looks at him and it's a searing reminder of the top of that pyramid, time toppling all around them. "You've never said." she says quietly, her voice wobbling just slightly.

"I didn't know how," he says honestly. "Why would you think that I'd ever marry you if I didn't want to?"

"You weren't- " River sighs. "You were angry. I wasn't sure if you were doing it just to placate me. You didn't trust me enough to tell me about your plan. It wasn't even really you I married - it was a robot."

"It was me in that robot suit." He says. "It was me who whispered in your ear, me who _married_ you, River."

River shrugs. "I was just doing as I was told."

He flinches, remembering the cold and harsh words he'd said to her. Despite knowing what he was about to do, despite the pain he was feeling from time being torn apart, River didn't deserve that treatment. She was helping him, in the only way she knew she could.

"I know," he says softly. "And I love you for it - for trusting me."

"Always," she says, her voice much softer. The tears in her eyes are filling to the brim and he knows he'll be wiping them away later - he'll always be there to wipe her tears away. "And completely."

"It's been a while since I've been a husband," he tells her, taking her hands and tugging her close. "I might be bad at it. But I promise you I'll always try my best for you, River.”

She slips into his lap, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Your best is just fine, sweetie."

She pushes him down against the grass and they don't even realise the sky lighting up above them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Marry me.”   
> Pairing: Eleven/River

"I wish you could've been there, River. It would've been so much more _fun_." Amy says, sighing as she leans her elbows on the table.

The three of them - River, Amy and Rory - are huddled together at the dining table, flipping through a photo album. They've reached their wedding day, dozens of photos of Amy and Rory having the time of their lives, and dozens more of the Doctor looking utterly ridiculous on the dancefloor.

"I was there," River reminds her. "I just couldn't stay very long."

"Which isn't the same." Amy insists. "Right, Rory?"

She turns to her husband expectantly.

"Of course." He nods, though he shoots River a look.

River smiles. "You know the rules, Amy." She looks down at the photograph of her husband dancing, a sad smile on her face as she asks, "How long has it been since you've seen the Doctor?"

"It's been a couple of weeks." Rory says, noticing the way she looks at the picture. "How long has it been for you?"

River swallows. "A while." she says softly.

She doesn't miss the way Amy frowns at Rory but she ignores it, choosing instead to examine it carefully. She remembers that day well. Her husband was young - he hadn't even been kissed yet. He was easy to fluster, floundering and fumbling around her, and she so misses the way he's blushed when he asked if she was married.

It's been too long since she's seen him. Any version of him. It's killing her slowly, a knife inching deeper as it twists. She feels herself just aching to see him - even if it means spending time with a version of him that doesn't really know her yet - anything is better than not seeing him at all.

"I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later," Amy says optimistically. She frowns at Rory over River's head, jerking her head towards their daughter and mouthing _do something_.

"Yeah," Rory chuckles weakly, unsure. Amy glares over at him and he clears his throat. "Um, you know how he is, River. He'll show up when you least expect -"

Right on cue, the telltale sounds of the Tardis whooshing into their backyard fill their ears.

"That is incredible." Rory mutters.

River doesn't answer. She stands at rushes to the blue box, frowning and muttering under her breath. Her parents immediately follow suit, understanding that something is wrong. River places her hands gently on the door, closing her eyes as she strokes the wood.

"The Doctor's sick. He's been poisoned." River says quickly, and she throws open the Tardis doors, rushing straight to the corridors.

" _What_?" Amy and Rory say together, their voices full of panic and worry.

"The poison isn't lethal." She assures them, walking so fast that the two of them have to jog to keep up. "It attacks the part of his brain that deals with memory - that's why he couldn't fly the Tardis. He couldn't remember how."

"But he'll be okay, right?" Amy asks.

River pauses. "I'm not sure," she admits. "The Tardis doesn't know exactly when he ingested the poison. If we don't administer the antidote in time he could suffer from permanent memory loss."

She finally finds the right door and pushes it open, frowning when the darkness overtakes her eyes.

"Doctor?" she calls out tentatively.

"River!" an overly enthusiastic voice answers her, and before she can even process what's happening, two long arms wrap themselves securely around her waist and pulls her into the darkness. She feels a warm body around her and she freezes, not quite sure what to do. "It's been so long since I've seen you, honey."

She relaxes the instant he speaks in her ear, her body letting go of the tension - until she feels two warm hands on her arse.

" _Doctor_." she hisses, and he jumps off like he's been burnt. "Rory, please turn on the lights."

"Sorry," the Doctor pouts, as a loud click is heard and the room is thrown into illumination. They're in the sick bay, medical appliances lining the walls and a lone bed in the centre. "I thought they knew I've already seen your... _you know_."

River surpresses the urge to giggle, sneaking a looks back at her parents. Rory looks like he'd rather get eaten by a bear than be a part of this conversation and Amy is looking straight at her, smirking and waggling her eyebrows.

"Sit down, sweetie." she says, taking his hand and leading him over to the bed. "Could one of you find me a blue scanner? It's got round buttons and a purple dial on the side."

"River, remember that time we were getting chased by man-eating cheetahs and we ate the leaves from the Tuffle trees so we could run faster and have more energy? And we ended up having too much energy because we ate too many leaves, and we wore it all off in the bedroom for three days straight?" he chatters off in rapid speed. By the time River realises what he's talking about, it's too late to cut him off. From behind her, she hears Rory clearing his throat.

"Is there anything you need that isn't in this room?" he asks, clearly uncomfortable. River takes pity on him and turns, rifling through a drawer before she hands him a piece of paper.

"That's the recipe for the antidote. Go to the kitchen and prepare the ingredients. Make sure you wear gloves, some of the items are toxic to your skin. I'll come and help as soon as we get him settled." she instructs.

He nods seriously, taking off as he reads the piece of paper.

"River, do you remember it? You were still in university then, and we weren't married yet." His eyes widens as he looks at her, and she frowns at him.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asks, wiping his forehead. He's got a horrible fever.

"Are we married?" he asks, fearfully. "I don't remember it, River."

"Of course we are," she assures him quietly, her heart stopping a little. How long has it been since he got poisoned? How long does he have left? "Of course we're married, sweetie."

"Don't lie to me. You always lie to me." He says, shaking his head. "I want to marry you now. Marry me, River. Marry me."

"I only lie to you when I need to," she says patiently. Behind her, Amy lets out a triumphant noise, holding up a device just like the one River described. "I don't need to lie to you now, Doctor. We're already married, I promise."

"Here's the scanner, River." Amy says handing it over.

"Let's do it again, then." He says eagerly, as River places the scanner over his forehead. "A second wedding, just to make sure."

River smiles a little. "We've had seven hundred and forty-four weddings."

"Let's make it seven hundred and forty-five, then." He counters, his eyes wide as he looks up at her sincerely.

"Maybe," she says quietly, pressing buttons and turning the dial. "Tell you what, if you'll let me work quietly for about two hours, we can go get married again afterwards. Sound okay?"

He pouts. "You won't leave without telling me again, will you? I didn't like it last time."

The scanner beeps as River swallows, smiling sadly. She remembers her uni days, when she was so terrified of what she was feeling that she wouldn't let herself spend more than a day with him. That had ended as soon as she graduated - the day they got married, the very first time she told him she loved him.

"I won't do that anymore." She strokes the side of his face gently. "I promise."

He nods, trusting her. "Good."

She bends down to give him a kiss on the cheek before she turns to Amy, who's been watching silently at the end of the bed.

"Take care of him. I'll be back in an hour." she says.

Amy nods tersely, before turning to the Doctor. "You look rubbish, Doctor." Amy says to him.

"Thank you, Donna." The Doctor says sleepily, before he dozes off.

An hour and a half later, River, Amy and Rory watch as the Doctor sleeps peacefully after receiving the antidote to the poison.

"I've got the morning shift tomorrow, so I need to get going." Rory says to the both of them. "We should go."

"You can stay if you want to. It's a time machine, after all." River offers. "And he'll want to see you when he wakes up."

"He barely said two words to us," Amy points out. "He couldn't remember me and he kept asking for you the entire time I watched him. If there's anyone he wants to see when he wakes up, it's you."

"Spend some time with your husband, Melody." Rory says quietly. He was always like that - firm, calm, strong but quiet. She always found comfort in the way her father would speak to her. "You know where to find us if you need us."

River stares at them for a long moment, silently contemplating. Amy shoots her a look that plainly says she won't hear an argument against their decision - and River finally nods.

"Thank you for helping." she says to them, smiling gratefully.

Her parents nod in reply, her father giving her a peck on the forehead and her mother hugging her tightly before they leave. River turns to her husband.

"What did you do, sweetie?" she asks her sleeping husband, frowning in concern. She takes his hand and intertwines their fingers together.

She falls asleep beside him, their clasped hands over the space between his hearts.

When she wakes up again, her head is on his shoulder and she feels a warm hand on her cheek, fingers stroking her skin delicately. She opens her eyes to find the Doctor gazing at her, his own eyes still heavy with sleep, but his face lighting up with a delighted smile.

"It's so good to see you, River." he whispers.

"Take it easy," she tells him, sitting up. Their hands are still clasped but she doesn't let go, holding on even tighter. "The antidote will give you a mild migraine for fourteen hours."

"Did I ask you to marry me?" he asks, squeezing her hand. She nods, smiling fondly at him. "Did you say yes?"

Her smile grows wider as she leans down and presses a soft kiss on his lips. "Always."

The Doctor beams up at her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “I almost lost you.”  
> Pairing: Thirteen/River

River still isn’t sure what happened.

All she knows is that some aliens were pointing several guns at her - a few angry Sontarans, she thinks - and that she was just about to get to the fun part of the whole galaxy chase when someone pushed her out of the way. Just as the Sontarans pulled the trigger.

She sees a grey coat and blonde hair as she falls to the ground and she curses under her breath. That bloody idiot.

The golden light of regeneration energy begins to fill the air around them, startling the Sontarans only momentarily but giving River the advantage she needs. With a swift movement of her blaster she aims and shoots, taking them all down in rapid succession. Five Sontarans lay on the ground, stunned, but she doesn’t care about them - they’ll all be awake in a few hours, in any case. River rushes to the Doctor’s side, hauling her body over her shoulder and looking around for that familiar blue box.

She sees the Tardis in the far corner of the street and makes a run for it. The commotion has caused chaos amongst the warrior race but she doesn’t pay any attention, her mind quickly mapping out the fastest route to safety and her feet following not far behind. All she can think about is the Doctor - of how she’d said that she wasn’t sure exactly how many regenerations she had left, if any at all; how there’s no guarantee that the Doctor has even enough energy to take five blaster shots in the gut.

She pushes through the Tardis doors easily, the Doctor still limp in her arms. She stops only to activate the invisibility shields before making her way to the sick bay. She carefully lays the Doctor down on the bed, the glow of regeneration energy all she can see now, and she rifles through the cupboards looking for something to cure - or kill, she hasn’t decided yet - her wife with.

“River,” the Doctor croaks weakly, groaning a little.

“Not now, Doctor,” River says, still rummaging through shelves and looking at the labels on bottles. “I’m busy trying to save your damn life.”

“Look at me, please,” the Doctor says, her voice still just a mere whisper.

River pauses and turns, sighing a little. The Doctor’s hand is pressed against her wound, some wisps of regeneration energy still left around it, but she can tell it’s already healed.

“You’re crying,” the Doctor says softly, frowning a little. Her head drops back against the pillow as she looks up at River. “Why are you crying?”

River hadn’t even noticed the tears in her eyes. She hadn’t felt the wetness on her cheeks until the Doctor pointed it out, and as she does she feels a wave of anger pierce her heart fiercely.

“You bloody idiot,” River whispers, her voice shaking in anger. “Don’t you _ever_  do that again, Doctor.”

The Doctor smiles lazily. “I’ll be lying if I promise.”

“ _Doctor_ ,” River says in warning, stepping closer to her.

“No, River.” the Doctor’s smile is gone as she looks up at her wife, a frown replacing her features. “I won’t promise it unless you’ll promise you won’t get into street fights with the Sontarans.”

“Well what else am I supposed to do with my Saturday nights?” River asks sarcastically, her lips pressed into a thin line. The Doctor is just so damn stubborn sometimes.

“Be with me.” The Doctor says.

The simplicity of her answer shocks River a little - even after all those years with the Doctor, of her previous bodies sharing their love and devotion, River never could understand how she got so lucky.

“I can’t be with you if you’re dead!” River says harshly, not intent on letting it go just yet.

“And I can’t be with you if _you’re_  dead!” the Doctor exclaims back, sitting up and groaning a little as she straightens her back. “This is the third time you’ve provoked the Sontarans this week, River. You’re not usually this trigger-happy. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” River says, but the Doctor isn’t convinced.

“What happened to not hiding the damage?” her wife asks, her eyes sad.

“I’m not _damaged_ , Doctor. That’s exactly the point.” River snaps, regretting it instantly.

The Doctor frowns. “I don’t follow.”

Sighing, River places her head in her hands and takes a deep breath - there’s no use lying. There’s no use putting off this conversation. She’s been free from the Library’s clutches for almost a month but nothing has worked out as she has expected - and if she keeps lying to the Doctor things might just end up being worse than before.

“Ever since I came back, I feel… _different_. Like something isn’t the same as it was before. And picking fights, getting into trouble - it’s all I can do to remind myself that it’s only as familiar as I let myself be. So no, Doctor, I won’t stop fighting with the Sontarans, not when it’s the only time I actually feel like my old self again.” River says honestly, looking down at her wife.

The Doctor stays silent for a while, her eyes travelling over River’s features slowly, her mouth pressed into a thin line as she thinks about what to say next. She reaches her free hand out to grasp River’s, intertwining their fingers together tightly.

“I almost lost you, River.” The Doctor starts, her voice soft. “I did lose you, so many times. And the one time when it counted, I couldn’t save you. Not for a long time, at least. You were in that computer for so long. You won’t come back out the same person as you were before you entered the database. Tell me you understand that.”

River shuts her eyes. “I do. Of course I do.”

“Then you’ll understand why I can’t let you continue picking fights with aliens on every single galaxy without helping you.” The Doctor continues, squeezing her wife’s hand. “You don’t have any regenerations left, River. I’m not letting you endanger yourself for nothing. I’m not losing you for nothing, understand?”

“I’m not changing, sweetie.” River tells her.

The Doctor smiles fondly, her face shining as she looks up at her wife with all the admiration she feels. She tugs on River’s arm, pulling her down to sit beside her. She presses a kiss to her lips, grinning wide when River pulls her closer by the waist, responding hungrily, with just a hint of desperation.

When she pulls back, the Doctor rests her forehead against River’s chin, breathing in her scent gratefully. She closes her eyes and enjoys being in River’s presence.

“I’d never expect you to, wife.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “I wish I could hate you.”  
> Pairing: Eleven/River

“You never even hesitated.” is the first thing the Doctor hears when he enters the Tardis again, Amelia’s afterword clutched tightly in his hand.

“Not now, River.” he says wearily, walking slowly to the console, every movement he makes betraying exhaustion and grief. He looks up at his wife, standing at the top of the steps with an expression he can’t begin to read on her face - he doesn’t want to right now. He just wants to be alone. “Please, not now.”

River doesn’t answer. She turns and stalks towards the corridors.

The Doctor doesn’t follow her.

*

He sits in the silence for hours and hours. He’s read the afterword so many times that he has every word memorised, and the paper is so worn that the words are starting to fade despite the fact that it’s been less than a day.

The silence is haunting. He’s used to hearing Amy’s Scottish accent and her laughter, and Rory voicing out the sensible solution. He hasn’t heard from River since she disappeared, but he figures she’s probably sleeping now.

The Doctor sighs and stands, climbing the stairs. He figures he owes River an apology - and even if she isn’t awake to receive it, he can get under the covers and lie next to her. There’s something about her presence that soothes him - it’s been like that since the first night they spent together.

He keeps his steps light as he makes his way to their bedroom. The lights aren’t on, so he pushes the door open gently and peeks his head in.

“River?” he calls out quietly. But the bed is empty.

He tries the library next. He stalks through shelves, searching for the telltale mane of golden curls, but he doesn’t find anything. Nothing in the office, either. Or the shooting range, or the kitchen - or anywhere else he can think of.

The Tardis starts buzzing lightly and he looks up at the ceiling, frowning as he tries to figure out what she’s telling him.

He turns a corner, following the Tardis’s directions, and he sees a door he hasn’t seen in over a hundred years. River’s bedroom.

During her first year in uni, she hadn’t been comfortable enough to sleep with him. She preferred sleeping alone, waking up alone, and she rejected any attempt he made to be intimate. He didn’t mind much, but it was lovely to finally be able to drop the charade of being able to resist her when she got older.

He hadn’t realised that she never dropped her charade.

Swallowing slightly, he pushes the door open and enters quietly. He hears whimpers and soft sobbing, and his eyes draws to River, still in that black dress, hunched over and sitting on her bed. Her back is to him but he can see that she’s trembling, and he knows instantly that he’s been a damn bastard.

“Doctor,” her voice is hoarse and full with tears, and her breath keeps on hitching but her words are clear as day. She doesn’t even turn to look at him. “Please go.”

“I won’t.” He says firmly, approaching her.

He rounds the bed and sees her fists balled tightly, nails digging into her palms and making marks. Instantly, he drops down on the bed next to her and takes her hands, unfurling her fingers and kissing her palms.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “Please talk to me, River.”

She shakes her head, pulling her hands away; he grips on tighter, intent on not letting her go.

“Talk to me, please,” he almost begs, eyes wide as he stares up at her.

Her cheeks are red and her eyes are swollen, her hair matted to her skin. Her lips are trembling slightly and she keeps sniffing, taking deep breaths through her mouth.

“I’m sorry,” he says again. “I know they were your parents, I know they meant a lot to you -”

“I wasn’t ever close to them. You know that.” she says plainly, hiccuping. She shakes her head. “I’m not crying because of them.”

He waits for her to elaborate but she sighs and looks into his eyes, and he sees it - the pain and the heartache and the love - he sees all of River.

He leans in and captures her lips, kissing her slowly and passionately. He feels tears on her cheeks and he reaches up, wiping them away gently. He feels her kissing back, her hands on his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly.

Then she pushes him away, standing abruptly. He gasps in surprise but catches himself in time, his arms outstretched behind him.

“I wish I could hate you,” she whispers to him, eyes filled with more tears. The expression on her face is one of pure hurt, of someone who’s lost what wasn’t even hers to begin with.

“River,” he reaches for her, but she takes a step farther away from him.

“I wish loving you didn’t _hurt_ so much.” she continues, running her hand through her hair and messing it up even further.

It reminds him of another day - one of the most important days in his life - where she was dressed in black, looking at him with tear-filled eyes and her hair framing her beautiful face. The day she told him she loved him more than every living thing in the universe. The day he married her.

And he understands. Because lord, did loving River hurt too. It hurt to know how he would lose her. It hurt to know when he would lose her. But he wouldn’t dare try to change anything. He wouldn’t dare jeopardise their time together.

Because as much as it hurt to love her, it would hurt even more to never have her.

“I know.” he says softly, standing up. She doesn’t react this time. “I know, and I’m so sorry.”

“Sometimes I wish you’d saved Melody Pond.” she admits softly. “Just so I wouldn’t ever have to know what loving you felt like.”

He stares at her, his mouth just slightly open. “River, you don’t mean that.”

But he knows that she does.

“You wanted me to talk to you.” She says, “but if I told you all the things I want to say you’d never want to see me again.”

“That’s not true,” he whispers, and he takes her chin in his hand, tilting her head up to meet her eyes. “That’s not true, Melody.”

She doesn’t react to the use of her birth name. She merely looks up at him, glassy eyes piercing into him, and when she speaks, she sounds almost afraid.

“Sometimes, I think - if you hadn’t taken so long come back after Prisoner Zero - you and Amy- ”

“No.” he says immediately, once he realises what she’s about to say - he won’t let her say it out loud, because there was never that attraction, not with Amy. “Never with Amy.” he says, just to make sure she knows. He cups her face and leans his forehead down on hers, shutting his eyes tightly because how bad a husband did he have to be to make River think there would ever be anything between him and Amy? “Never with anyone else but you.”

River swallows but she doesn’t say anything, closing her eyes and letting a few more tears escape as he rubs his nose against hers.

“I love you so much, Doctor.” she whispers, her hands finally touching him. She winds her arms around his middle, nudging his face aside so she can lean her cheek against his shoulder.

“I love you too, River.” he whispers in her ear, cradling her head against him. He nuzzles her neck softly and plants a kiss there. “More than every living thing in the universe.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twelve/River, first anniversary on Darillium

River awakes on Christmas morning the way she’s been waking up for the past year - a pair of strong arms encircled around her, keeping her protected in the Doctor’s embrace. She turns and finds a pair of deep blue eyes twinkling at her; still laced with sleep and a hint of smile. She smiles back, reaching a hand up to touch his cheek lightly, stroking her thumb over the lines around his eyes and the wrinkles on his face. 

“Good morning,” she whispers, not wanting to disturb the peace and the quiet that comes with the start of a new day.

“Happy anniversary, River.” He whispers back.

His arms wind themselves tighter around her middle and pull her closer, their bodies touching. She pushes her hair away from her face as she adjusts herself so that they’re both eye to eye, and she watches him.

She loves this - she loves watching him, loves how this doctor wears his heart on his sleeve when he’s with her - his previous face had been cautious and wary for so long before she managed to wear his defenses down, but this one just  _ trusts _ . He loves her, and he isn’t at all afraid to show it.

And she loves how he shows it. If she’d thought that her bowtie-wearing husband had been besotted for her after they were married, it was really nothing compared to how just utterly devoted this version is. She’s never stayed with him for this long before, and in the first few weeks of their stay here, she’d been a little sceptical about his ability to sit still. Part of her had expected him to leave in the middle of the night, without warning. She had a feeling that he could sense it - her scepticism, her doubts towards him and how he really felt about her - and he worked twice as hard to make sure she knew how sincere this is. How important these years are to him

While the previous Doctor had won her with big, romantic gestures, this one had won her with small, frequent ones. Taking her out on dates at the local cafe, supporting her with every decision she makes and convincing her, albeit slowly, to open up. Because he tells her everything and he wants her to be able to do the same.

She never would’ve guessed that the Doctor with the angry eyebrows and grumpy demeanour would be the gentlest, softest reincarnation of her husband. While her ageless God would take her to the finest restaurants in the universe and go dancing if she was feeling morose, this version would don an apron on his caledonian form, pour her a glass of wine and whip up something delicious for her in the kitchen, while stealing little kisses from her. This Doctor shows his love differently - not better or worse, just different. And she loves him.

“I can’t believe it’s already been a year, Doctor. It doesn’t feel like it.” She tells him softly, reaching for his hand beneath the sheets. She intertwines her fingers together and presses his hand close to her chest, ducking her head slightly to brush her lips against his knuckles. “Time is moving much too quickly.”

His blue eyes move over her face as he squeezes her hand in comfort, a melancholy expression quickly taking over his face. Sometimes - very rarely, of course, these twenty-four years hang over them like a prison sentence. A constant reminder that this state of bliss is  _ temporary _ , a ticking clock counting down the moments of their marital paradise. On those dreadful days, there’s an overwhelming feeling of injustice in her chest, an urge to rebel like she’s done so many times before - cheat time like they’ve done so many times before. After all, fixed points can be rewritten, can’t they?

But the Doctor’s face when she’d brought it up - the fear in his eyes when she suggested that they run away from it all - it made her stop and reconsider. What if, by doing this, she erased their time together? Their marriage, their love, spanning centuries and galaxies and realms that hadn’t even existed without them - all gone because of her? She could never do that to him, or to herself. 

“Time is always moving too quickly with you, River.” He says softly, looking into her tear-filled eyes. His other hand reaches up to her face, his smile sad but loving. “That’s why every moment is so precious.”

She nods, shutting her eyes tightly as she tries to make the dread sitting idly in her heart leave - because today is supposed to be  _ happy _ . And who knows how many happy days she has left after Darillium?

“Happy Christmas, my love.” She says, leaning in closer to press a soft kiss to his lips.

He grasps her waist as she leans in and pulls her on top of him, smirking as she squeals a little before their lips meet and he snogs her excitedly, feeling her respond easily.

When she pulls back to fix him with an exasperated look, his hands roam freely around her body and settle easily on her bum. He gives her a grin that tells her he’s quite pleased with himself.

“Must you really do that every morning?” She asks, swatting him playfully on the shoulder when she feels his warm hand squeezing her arse.

“How else will I get my morning kiss?” He asks her, grinning. He squeezes her bum pointedly again as he says, “I want to be able to touch every part of you.”

She shakes her head. “You’ll get bored of that move sooner or later.”

“Don’t count on it.”

She braces herself on her arms and leans down to press more gentle kisses onto his lips, feeling his mouth curve into a soft smile as his hands move up her back, pressing her into him. 

“I love you,” she breathes, before his lips claim her again.

“I love you so much, River.” He says back, before he pulls her knickers down.

They don’t talk for the rest of the morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! If you’d like to see more, you can always follow me on my tumblr account!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Eleven/River  
> Prompt: “Good morning, sweetie.”, “Is that my shirt?”

The Doctor wakes up in a bed for the first time in months. He opens his eyes and smells a distinct scent of parma violets in the air and instantly he knows - River is here.   
  
The events of last night slowly hits him as he sits up, finding River wide awake with a cup of tea on her side of the bed. It’s funny - she never had a side of his bed before. But he knows that after last night, he’ll never be able to sleep here without the image of River sipping tea haunting him.   
  
He thinks he prefers it that way.    
  
“Good morning, sweetie.” She says, even though her eyes never leave the book she’s reading. Her mouth curls upward into a smirk, and though once he’d have found that absolutely infuriating, now he feels the urge to just kiss it off her face - something that he’s blessedly able to do now.    
  
She looks up at him with amused eyes and smirks even wider, tilting her head. “My, my, I never knew you were fighting so hard not to snog me, Doctor.”   
  
“W-what?” He stutters, and he sighs in annoyance as he glances towards his reflection in the vanity. “You’re supposed to _stop_ doing that in front of her.”   
  
River lets out a delighted little laugh and tosses her book aside, taking off her glasses and crawling towards the Doctor. “Flustered around me, are we?”   
  
She kisses his shoulder and he looks down at her, with eyes that can be described with nothing but absolute awe and devotion.    
  
“I’m surprised you didn’t realise it sooner.” he says quietly to her.   
  
Her smile is just a touch too sad when she says, “You’re hard to read now, sweetie.”   
  
He looks away and clears his throat, because the emotion in her eyes when she says that is too much for him to handle. He knows that their warped timelines are the cause of her pain and her heartache - and he can’t help but wonder if they will hurt him that much in the future, too. Will he look at her a hundred years in his future, young and bright and eager, with the same heartbreaking nostalgia on his face? Will he start to make an inside joke - something just the two of them knew about - and stop himself just in time, for fear that this version of River doesn’t know its significance? Will he go to her, expecting her to hold and hug him like she’s done so many times before, and realise that this River hasn’t ever been intimate or vulnerable with anyone?   
  
He knows that one day he’ll do all of these things. And he knows it’s worth it.    
  
He looks back at her and smiles, deciding to ignore the sadness in her eyes. “Is that my shirt?”   
  
He looks at the button-up shirt she has thrown on haphazardly, and her eyes twinkle as she laughs.   
  
“Better get used to it, Doctor.” She says, leaning in closer for a kiss. He gives one of his to her - one of millions and millions more in years to come. “I’m not giving them back.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Eleven/River or Twelve/River  
> Prompt: "Behave." /Smut

The Doctor glares at River as she maintains a straight face, staring at the head of the table where the Sultan of Masjidi is briefing them on the details of their mission. The only hint that she even knows that his eyes are on her is the very slight turn of the corner of her lips - completely undetectable to anyone who doesn’t really know River. 

The Doctor happens to know her best.

He gives her a look of warning as he grabs her hand under the table, dangerously close to his crotch. He knows she’s still upset that he’d interrupted their bedroom time when the Sultan had sent a distress call, but he couldn’t make love to River properly knowing people were in trouble. River knows this, of course - but it doesn’t mean that she’s happy about it.

She treats his rough grab on her hand like a loving caress, turning her palm so they’re just holding each other’s hands on his lap. He softens his grip on her and proceeds to focus on the mission.

The Sultan is a calm, rational man - but the stress of having been declared war on by another neighbouring planet has taken its toll on him. His turban askew and his eyes wild, he seems to have not been able to sleep for at least a week before deciding to seek the Doctor’s help. 

“Of course, Sultan, if this all goes according to plan there will be no war at all.” The Doctor says.

“But one must always be prepared for the possibilities!” The Sultan cries, bloodshot eyes scanning the map of his planet. “You know those - those Devouts, they will do anything to harm the Masjidians. I can’t let my people die for nothing!”

“Calm down, Sultan,” River says soothingly. “The Doctor and I will personally see to it that the Leader of the Devouts do not attack. And if there is a war in the end, well,” she shrugs and leans back, smirking just a little. “I haven’t had action in quite a while.”

“What she means to say is,” the Doctor interjects, when the Sultan’s eyes grow wider than tennis balls. “We will do everything we can to make sure there is no war. You have our word, Sultan. My wife and I will take care of this.”

He feels River’s hand on his crotch again - in his haste to reassure the Sultan he’d unconsciously let go of her hand. She feels her fingers pressing lightly against the growing bulge on his trousers and he glares at her.

“ _ Behave.” _ He growls softly at her so the Sultan doesn’t hear. She ignores him.

If the Sultan knew what she was doing beneath the tablecloths, they’d be thrown out in less than a nanosecond. Not only were the Masjidians an extremely modest civilisation, their beliefs were that sex should only be for the sole purpose of procreation.

In other words, the Doctor hadn’t asked for a room, like he always did. He had a feeling River wouldn’t take too kindly to being denied more than once. 

“It is time for lunch in my private quarters,” the Sultan stands, “would you like to join me?”

“Thank you so very much for the invitation, but I think we should study the Leaders of the Devouts more.” River says, before the Doctor can answer. “I hope you don’t mind?”

“Not at all, Professor Song. Thank you for your service.”

Both of them stand as the Sultan leaves, bowing in respect to him. The moment the heavy oak door slam shut and they’re the only ones left in the room, the Doctor swivels around to face River.

“Were you trying to get us  _ killed _ ?” He hisses, his voice strangled.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, sweetie.” She says carelessly. She perches on top of the table, and smiles delicately at him. “You liked it.”

The Doctor blushes slightly. “Never said I didn’t.” He mumbles.

He approaches her like a wave approaches a shore, drawn to it, an invisible force pulling him into her. She tilts her head up at him, clearly inviting him in for a kiss. He ignores her and instead settles his hands on her thigh, leaning in to bite her ear. 

“Professor Song,” he whispers, his hands sliding under her skirt. “My bad, bad girl.”

He pulls away to look at her face, finding that her bottom lip is pulled between her teeth. Her eyes are darker and when she looks up at him through her lashes he feels a sudden wave of desire overcome him. He crashes his lips to hers, tongues twining and their mouths melding together. Her body feels warm and smooth under his hands, and her fingers feel like fire against his skin, igniting every modicum of passion he possesses - like a charm; like a spell. 

“Doctor,” she moans softly, head thrown back to give him access as his teeth pull at her neck. “Doctor, please.”

He parts her legs roughly and reaches under her to rip her knickers off her skin, pocketing it hurriedly. He’d only recently realised that River liked it when he did that - that she liked the idea that he held on to her torn underwear like relics of every frenzied, passionate coupling they’ve had; she liked thinking about if he got off on the scent of her arousal that lingered on the torn fabric. He has quite a collection at home already, and he can’t help but feel excited to add this one to it - preferably after River goes back to Luna University. He doesn’t fancy using the scent of her underwear when he could just have the real thing against his mouth.

“Love you,” he whispers against her skin as his lips travel downwards, over her rumpled button-up and finally settling between her thighs. 

He brings both her legs up to his shoulders and looks up at her. She gazes at him fondly, hands combing softly through his hair. 

“Love you too,” she whispers back.

He gives her a small kiss at the back of her knee, never breaking the tender look that they’re sharing. His eyes roam her appearance hungrily, and she just can’t help but feel her already heated body flare up even more. She loves that he does that to her. 

“Do you think you can keep quiet, dear?” He asks idly, his voice muffled as he mouths at the honey skin near her centre. 

“You know I can’t,” she quirks an eyebrow at him, “are you going to make me?”

He pretends to consider it for a moment. “No,” he says finally.

He doesn’t leave room for any response before diving in, sucking her clit in his mouth. She pulls and tugs painfully at his hair, her heels digging into his neck but he couldn’t care less. He just wants to satisfy her, to give her pleasure like she’s given it to him many times before. 

He licks a stripe up her slit, tasting her. He’s unable to control the small moan that escapes him as he enjoys her taste, and he feels an even harder tug at his hair. He loves that River loves knowing that he enjoys doing this to her - he doesn’t ever want to make her feel like it’s a chore, because it isn’t. Not in the slightest.

His mouth envelops her wet core, licking the wetness off and leaving more of it against her. He desperately wants to plunge his tongue within her, wants to feel her walls pulsing around his mouth, but he wants to draw it out for her - he wants her to shake when she comes, wants her to be unable to contain herself. 

So he slows himself down and speeds up again, doing this several times until she’s almost crying in frustration - and that’s when he dips his tongue inside her. His hands hold tightly to her hips to keep her still as her body trashes around. He can feel her quivering already - he just needs to keep this up for a little while longer. 

He feels almost drunk on her taste - he’s never been one for addictions like alcohol but he’ll gladly have her every night if she wants to. He loves that she’s sweet but salty but tangy, that it’s just so  _ River _ and he’s addicted to it just like he’s addicted to her. Like he can’t get enough of her. 

He feels the tension and strain on her thigh muscles and knows she’s close. Her moans are even louder than usual and he wonders if the guards outside can hear them through the solid oak door. 

He fucks her roughly with his tongue, slurps her up like a starving man offered a feast, and his hands travel slowly up the torso to deliver the final blow - tweaking her nipples just slightly as he plunges in and curves his tongue inside her.

She lets out a loud shout as she comes, liquid flooding his mouth. He laps all of it up as she falls bonelessly down on the table, tired and satiated. She feels small shocks going through her body as he husband’s tongue licks her clean thoroughly, leaving no crevice left untouched.

He emerges from between her legs and immediately seeks her tongue out.

“Love you,” he whispers through kisses, and she feels the bulge in his pants. “So much, dear. So very much.”

“Love you too, sweetie.” She whispers hoarsely to him, her hand coming up to cup his face gently. She tilts her head to the side and looks down at his crotch. “Do you - ?”

“It’s okay. Later, tonight. No interruptions. Promise.” He tells her, pulling her up and helping her straighten her blouse. Her legs are still shaky, so she remains seated on the table. “You can do whatever you want.”

Her smirk is sinful. “You might regret that later on, Doctor.”

“I very much doubt so.” He gives her a small bop on her nose and she scrunches her face in response, burying her face in his shoulder.

“I heard shouting!” One of the guards burst in, a rifle in his hand. 

When he finds the Doctor and River embracing he immediately turns red and covers his eyes with his hands.

“I - I thought there might’ve been a disturbance.” He stammers, and River looks at him in mild amusement.

“No disturbance.” The Doctor assures, tugging River closer by the waist and ignoring the soldier’s obvious discomfort at the entire situation. “Just eating lunch.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Eleven/River  
> Prompt: "I love it when you ride me."/Smut

He pulls out all the stops for her birthday - it’s her first since they got married, and he wants it to be special. He wants everything to be special for her. 

 

He takes her to dinner at the finest restaurant in four galaxies (he would’ve gone five, but they were all booked up for a century) and then dancing at three different parties across space and time. He settles for the fanciest first, at ends the night at a raunchy, sensual night club borderlining on an alien orgy festival. 

 

He watches River, the sway of her hips hypnotising; the light of her eyes dark and seductive. Her hair bounces in the light and he can see it matted to her skin by sweat. He wants to lean in and taste her skin, but he swallows the impulse down and continues watching her, barely aware of the other bodies around him. 

 

She smiles and it’s beautiful - everything about her is beautiful, but her smile is the most beautiful part of her. She crooks a finger and he follows, falling into her as naturally as gravity. He wonders why he tried to fight this for so long - he never stood a chance. 

 

His hands find her tiny waist, caressing her skin gently. The garment she’s chosen for this party is short, skimpy and thin, and he can feel everything - in some angles, he can even  _ see  _ everything. But he’d been too busy staring appreciatively to complain that everyone else would have the same view too. Besides, everyone could look - but he’d be the only one touching.

 

She turns in his arms, her back to his chest, and she wraps her arms around his neck, looking up at him through her eyelashes. He leans down, his lips grazing her temple gently.

 

“Enjoying yourself?” He asks softly, his hands going lower and caressing her bare thighs.

 

“Immensely,” she answers happily, leaning her head back to rest on his shoulder. “Thank you, sweetie.”

 

“Anytime, dear. I like seeing you happy,” he says, smiling fondly at her. His hands slip discreetly to her arse and gives her a playful squeeze, making her chuckle in surprise and delight. “You look so very sexy tonight.”

 

She laughs again. “My, my Doctor, the alcohol must really be getting to you.”

 

He quirks an eyebrow in confusion. “I didn’t drink any.”

 

“It’s infused in the air. Some kind of alien technology,” she says. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice.”

 

“Hard to notice anything else but you,” he says honestly, and to his surprise, he catches a glimpse of his wife blushing in the dim light. 

 

She says nothing, letting him sway their bodies gently to the rhythm of the music. He becomes acutely aware of the moans, groans and other noises of ecstasy filling the air and he ducks his head instead, a tiny bit afraid of what he’ll find when he lifts his eyes. But he can feel River’s body reacting to everything - the way her body tenses a little and her nipples pebble under her dress; the way she sways her hips purposefully across his crotch and the way her breathing grows heavier; the way she closes her eyes and bites her bottom lip.

 

He’d known how the night would end - had planned for it to turn out this way, even - but he hadn’t quite planned for himself to be rock hard and unable to contain himself. If he isn’t careful he might actually unzip his pants and take her right here - and though he knows that River wouldn’t mind in the slightest, he doesn’t want anyone else to be privy to the incomparable sight that is his wife in the throes of passion and ecstasy.

 

“Let’s go back now. Please,” he adds, fingers lightly grazing in between her legs - a silent promise for what’s to come. 

 

She nods, cheeks flushed and body trembling with arousal, taking his hand and following him without a word. 

 

They don’t make it to the Tardis without touching each other - once they exit the club, the cool night air surrounding them and taking in the sight of the quiet, empty street, they seize each other. He presses her to a wall and she moans, hands untucking his shirt to caress the muscles of his stomach while his one of his finds a home in her hair. The other hand grabs a thigh, bringing it to his waist and pushing the fabric of her dress up. 

 

She breaks the kiss with a discontent whimper and whispers, “Tardis,” before claiming his lips again in another equally passionate, desperate kiss. 

 

He almost throws caution to the wind and takes her right there, but her words register in his brain and he pushes himself off the wall. He never breaks the kiss, walking her backwards to the dark alley where they’d parked, hands roaming her body eagerly. 

 

It takes some time but they finally find the blue police box, and he sighs in relief as he pushes her against the door, lips attacking her neck. 

 

“Sweetie, please,” she whispers, arms around him and fighting hard to hold onto the one bit of self control she has left before she starts jumping him right outside the Tardis. “Inside, please, now -”

 

He growls and lifts her up, kicking the door open and entering the Tardis. Finally in private, he doesn’t hold back - he drops himself onto the jump seat. She leans her head down, kissing him feverishly as he bunches the material of her dress up to her waist.

 

“No knickers?” He asks.

 

“You really should be used to that by now, Doctor.” 

 

“Never.”

 

She pulls the buttons off his shirt and he can’t find it in himself to even pretend to care - he just wants her. His fingers busy themselves with the button on his trousers and he almost tears the material in frustration before River’s hands take over as she smiles in amusement at him. He makes himself busy by pressing kisses to her neck and shoulder, his breath hitching each time her fingers lightly brush against him. 

 

“River, please - need you -”

 

“I know,” she soothes, and with one deft motion she pulls his trousers and pants down just enough to free him. “There we go, feel better?”

 

“Don’t tease, you minx.” He grits out, hands finding her waist and gripping them tightly, intent on guiding her.

 

She smirks and settles herself directly above him, breathing heavy as she captures his lips and sinks down onto his cock. The moan that leaves both their mouths is decadent, full of relief and satisfaction - but it isn’t until River breaks the kiss and pushes him down against the seat, hips moving intently against his that he feels like he’s finally in heaven.

 

“River,” he moans, because he can’t say anything else. He’s lost every word in his vocabulary and he can’t think of anything but his wife on top of him, face contorted in pleasure, moving up and down slowly on his cock. He doesn’t need anything else in the universe but her. “River, River,  _ River _ -”

 

“Sweetie,” she moans back, her voice high pitched the way it only ever is when they’re fucking like this. “Sweetie, you feel so - so fucking good, oh,  _ oh _ -”

 

“I love you,” he whispers. Her breathing quickens and she starts moving her hips in a circular motion, riding him expertly and hitting every spot inside her with his cock. “Love you so much - love this so much. Don’t stop -  _ oh, River _ \- I love it when you ride me. I love it so much.”

 

She moans louder and fucks him harder, faster, until everything he says is a jumble of incoherent words and noises, and he can’t see anything besides the sight of his wife bouncing up and down on top of him. He feels her muscles clenching around him and knows she’s close - he’s so, so close too. He grips her hips tighter and meets her every thrust, pushing himself deeper inside her as she throws her head back and screams in pleasure. 

 

Their clothes are soaked in sweat - there are patches on her sequined dress and his shirt is almost completely soaked through but none of that matters right now. He wants her to come so hard around him - and he wants her to know that it’s just the start of an entire night (and hopefully day) of them intertwined with one another.

 

“Glorious, so glorious, my River - my wife. I’ll show you tonight - and hopefully every other night too - how much I love you. How you make everything better. You are  _ amazing _ like this, wife. So bloody amazing.”

 

Her moans and gasps are higher and more frequent, and her hips thrust in time. He tries desperately to hang on but he wants River to come first, and he moves his hips desperately under hers.

 

One, two, three more thrusts and she’s gone, her back arching and her mouth open wide as she screams her release into the air. He doesn’t stop thrusting, his hips jerking as his own release blinds his vision. He almost never wants to stop. This is where he’d stop time, if he could - River coming in his arms and him on the edge. He loves it.

 

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” he pants, laying back against the cushions on the jump seat.

 

“I love you,” she smiles back, panting heavily. She reaches up to push the hair off his face and press a kiss to his forehead. “Tonight was amazing, sweetie.”

 

“It hasn’t ended yet,” he tells her, smiling brighter. He sits up on the jump seat and secures his arms around her waist to make sure she doesn’t fall off. One hand plays with the ends of her curls and presses a kiss to her sweat-soaked neck. “I bought a new pair of handcuffs for you and a special cream. It’s suppose to be a sensory enhancer.”

 

She gives him the most loving look. “You know exactly how to make me smile, my love.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pairing: thirteen/river  
> prompt: height difference kisses

The Doctor sighs in contentment and snuggles deeper into her wife’s arms. River looks down in mild amusement, a fond smile taking over her features.

 

Yaz and Ryan look away, slightly uncomfortable. 

 

“I’m starting to wish we’d gone with Graham instead.” Ryan mutters to her.

 

“You’re the one who insisted we had to watch the new Avengers movie.” Yaz hisses, tucking her hair behind her ear and staring resolutely at the huge screen in front of them. “I hate it when they do that in public.”

 

“Hey, I didn’t hear you complaining. Besides, who wants to wait a whole six months before the movie drops when we’ve got a literal time machine?” Ryan argues back.

 

Yaz grumbles but she doesn’t answer. It had been so nice to see the Doctor smile so brightly when River came around. They hadn’t really talked about what had happened between them but it was clear that the Doctor hadn’t expected to see her wife again - not for a very long time, at least. 

 

When they first met the Doctor, she’d talked about losing a family. Afterwards, in subsequent adventures, she’d talked about loving more and losing more. Yaz, Ryan and Graham had all agreed, once they met River, that she’d been a large part of the family that the Doctor couldn’t talk about.

 

And getting to know River was so nice. Really. She knew how to operate the Tardis and it really was so entertaining to watch her banter with the Doctor - they worked so well together. 

 

They just had a tendency to really step up their public displays of affection. It was honestly getting embarrassing to be associated with them. They’d gotten kicked out of multiple parties, gatherings and just venues in general because the Doctor couldn’t keep her hands off her wife. 

 

Honestly, in any other circumstance Yaz would be happy to know that they had such a loving relationship. When she was in the middle of getting that handsome bachelor’s phone number, however…

 

The Doctor stands suddenly, eyes wide. “I forgot my special straw!” she whisper-shouts.

 

“Sweetie, you can do without it for one day. Sit down - the movie’s about to start!” River whisper-shouts back, tugging at the Doctor’s coat to pull her back into her seat.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, River. It’s important - it adds fizz!” 

 

“Oh, for God’s sake, Doctor - come on, we’ll go together. Sorry, dears. We’ll be right back.”

 

“No problem, River.” Ryan and Yaz both start to say, making space for them to walk to the the aisles. 

 

With them gone, Ryan leans in to whisper into Yaz’s ear. “Bet you one soda that they’ll get ‘distracted’ and never make it back here.”

 

Yaz scoffs. “With our luck, they’ll probably get distracted somewhere the security guards can see and toss us all out of the theatre.”

 

Ryan gasps. “Now why would you curse us like that?”

 

“You started it!” 

 

“I made a harmless prediction! You’re the one who had to add that part about tossing us all out in the middle of the movie!”

 

“Shhhh!” someone else shushes them from behind.

 

Mumbling their apologies, they turn back to the screen, only to see a weirdly shaped shadow on the screen. Yaz tilts her head and squints her eyes, wondering if something is wrong with the screen when the shadow starts moving.

 

“Oh no.” she whispers.

 

“What is it?” Ryan asks. “Is it that shadow? I think it’s just a glitch on the screen, nothing to worry about.”

 

“It’s moving,” Yaz points out. “It’s an actual shadow of - come on, let’s go! We’ve got to stop them before they get us kicked out again -”

 

“What are you talking about?” Ryan asks, bewildered, as Yaz drags him out of his seat and leads him to the back of the cinema. “Where are we going? The movie’s about to start!”

 

“Look!” Yaz points to two figures in front of the projector, lips locked. “Oh, and they had to do it in front of the projector, didn’t they?”

 

The Doctor is standing on the very tips of her toes, arms around River’s neck and kissing her feverishly, seemingly uncaring of the fact that they’re blocking the screen. River is responding enthusiastically, her head bent down to meet the Doctor’s lips and her arms around the Doctor’s waist. They don’t seem to be holding any sort of straw in their hands - they haven’t even gone back to the Tardis yet.

 

Sighing, Yaz tugs at Ryan’s sleeve. “Come on, let’s go back to the Tardis. We won’t be watching Endgame today.”

 

“What? Why not? Look, you take the Doctor and I’ll take River, we can pull them apart like we did at the King’s birthday party -”

 

A loud, strong voice interrupts them. “Hey, you two! Can’t you see you’re blocking the screen?”

 

Ryan sighs in defeat as River and the Doctor jump apart. He turns to Yaz, who holds out a hand for him to take. He takes it gratefully and leads both of them out of the cinema as the security guard starts arguing with River. 

 

“Let’s just follow Graham next time.” He says. She nods in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback is appreciated!!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleven/River  
> “You’re important too.”

She  _ always _ does this. Whenever they’re out saving the world together, out doing what they always do - whenever any real danger surfaces, she’s always the one to take the fall. Because he’s too precious - too important. 

 

He’s sick of it.

 

“I’m doing this  _ with _ you, whether you like it or not!” The Doctor shouts at his wife, and River stares at him with panic and anger in her eyes.

 

“I won’t have you  _ die _ because of some godforsaken  _ need _ to feed your hero complex!” She shoots back.

 

“I’m not leaving you here, not this time - not ever again, River.” He says forcefully.

 

She stops doing whatever it is that she was doing, looking up at him from her position, bent down over some wires in the pilot’s seat. She looks over his face carefully and he can tell that she’s scrutinising him, studying him.

 

“You’re not dying here, Doctor.” She says calmly, going back to tinkering with the wires. There’s some explosive device under there, and she’s dismantling it. Everyone else has evacuated the ship - it’s just the two of them left now. “You’re indispensable. I won’t be responsible for your death - not again.”

 

“You won’t be. You’re brilliant. You’ll save us both, and I’ll help. When will you learn, River Song?” He says, bending down to her level so he can look her in the eye. “You’re important, too.”

 

She looks away. “No, I’m not.”

 

“To me,” he whispers softly to her. “You’re important to me. And it kills me every time you do this because - do you really think I’d just leave while you’re in danger? I won’t do it anymore, River, I can’t.”

 

“Doctor, this isn’t the  _ time _ -” she interrupts, frustrated, but he can hear the tears in her eyes as well as her resolve to not let any of them fall.

 

“I’m not leaving your side. Together, or not at all.” He repeats her parents’ sentiments to each other to her. She closes her eyes and bends her head, struggling to keep her emotions in check. He places his hand over hers. “There’s no one else in the ship. We can evacuate.”

 

“But it’ll crash land -”

 

“There’s no time,” he says to her. “We can’t save everyone.”

 

She lunges forward to kiss him desperately. He moans, plunging a hand into her curls as their lips move against each other. He knows that his wife is still grieving since losing her parents - they both are. But he can’t lose her too. Not now - not ever.

 

“We’ll talk in the Tardis.” He says to her softly, standing up and holding out a hand for her to take. “Let’s run.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pairing: eleven/river  
> prompt: Play party (sex party)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yikes guys this is a very high M pls be warned before you venture forth thank you.

The Doctor arrives at a swanky party, having shown the psychic paper to the guards outside. River had called him here with a very suggestive message and though it’s only been a few days since he dropped off a much younger her back at Luna, he just couldn’t wait to see what his bad girl has in store for him. 

 

It’s elegant dresses and fancy tuxedos and waiters serving champagne, and the Doctor has to crane his neck over the tall crowd to catch a glimpse of his wife’s mane of corkscrew curls. He doesn’t see any, but he isn’t concerned. River will show herself when she wants to be seen.

 

He takes a glass from the tray of a waiter passing by, not at all intending to drink, but merely wanting to hold something in his hand. Everyone in this party seems to know everyone else, and though it certainly isn’t the first time he has to act comfortable in an unknown situation, he can’t help but feel that he’s  _ missing  _ something.

 

Unthinkingly, he takes a gulp of the drink and immediately spits most of it back into the glass, scrunching his nose at the revolting taste of it. The alcohol remains on his tongue and he turns around to find a table to get rid of the offending beverage. 

 

He bumps into a beautiful dark-skinned woman, dressed in an almost see through yellow gown that hides almost nothing. She gives him a flirty smile and he returns it, and she takes it as a friendly gesture.

 

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around here,” she says, and her voice is deep and sultry - she sounds so similar to River that he has to do a double take. “Is this your first time here?”

 

“Yes,” the Doctor replies, and before he can say more, a deep rumble of laughter escapes the gorgeous woman and she places a long-fingered hand on his arm, her nails scraping gently into his skin. 

 

“Marvelous,” she almost purrs, her eyes gleaming predatorily and the realisation of what this woman intends to do to him hits him almost at once. 

 

“I’m waiting for someone.” he says hurriedly, lest River hear this conversation.

 

“That doesn’t bother me,” she says again, more seductively as she presses her body against his and he squirms uncomfortably, feeling  _ every  _ bit of the woman’s body. “I’m sure whoever you’re waiting for will have some fun of their own while we have fun together.”

 

“I fully intend to have fun with my husband, Nikita,” a voice next to him says, and he almost sags with relief and runs to cower behind River until he turns and actually catches sight of her - then his brain stops working. “And I’m afraid that if I don’t get what I want, I’m going to get very cross.”

 

She’s in black. He’s always loved it when she wore black - the colour looked so good against her skin and she always has that sort of femme fatale air around her that he absolutely loves. Her dress is skimpy and tight, cinching around her waist and her hair is piled on top of her head, leaving her neck and shoulders bare for him to feast his eyes on. 

 

She’s in those pair of heels that she wore in the Byzantium - the red ones that gave him a heart attack every time she wore it, because it always meant that there was going to be some fantastic sex in private afterwards. His hearts start pumping faster and faster in his chest and his eyes grow dark as he stares at her.

 

“Hello, sweetie,” she greets, and he doesn’t say anything - he simply grabs her waist and pulls her closer, giving her the most passionate snog. He can’t seem to stop the fire running through his veins at the sight of her - he just wants to strip her down and take her right there in front of everyone, and he feels a little confused because what the hell is happening to him? He’s never been like this before.

 

He pulls away from her, panting heavily, and she smirks at him before placing another chaste kiss to his lips.

 

“I didn’t realise he was your husband, River,” says the other woman, and the Doctor almost forgot that she was still standing there for a small moment, having been so wrapped up in River. But now that he’s suddenly aware of the tension between the two women, the fire and the electricity crackling in the space between them, and the cold way that River is staring at Nikita. The other woman seems unfazed, staring up at River like she’s willing to challenge her. The Doctor wonders if she has a death wish. “I apologise.”

 

She looks completely unapologetic, and the Doctor winces. River, however, merely turns takes his hand and turns to the opposite direction, stalking away.

 

“River, what was that all abo -” the Doctor starts to ask, but River pushes him against a wall and shuts him up with another mind-bending kiss. 

 

He turns them, pushing her against the wall instead and starts kissing her neck enthusiastically, mouthing at her collarbone.

 

“There’s a bomb in this party.” River says casually.

 

The Doctor almost lifts his head in confusion before deciding that he might as well die having one last taste of River. His hands travel up her silky dress, squeezing her chest and moving behind to cup her bum. 

 

“We’ll have to distract everyone long enough for one of my assistants to sneak up and dismantle it.” River continues, though her breath is hitching and she begins to pant. “ _ Fuck _ , Doctor, have you - did you drink any of the wine?”

 

“Had a sip. Revolting,” he murmurs against her skin, as her arms drape themselves over his shoulders. He can’t seem to step away from her long enough to say a proper sentence.

 

“Perfect,” she whispers, and the Doctor almost asks her why before she grabs his face and kisses him desperately, passionately, hands moving over their bodies. 

 

“Distract. How?” he asks between kisses, and she hitches a leg around his waist as he presses her deeper into the wall. “So sexy, dear.”

 

She lets out a small laugh but it’s interrupted by him biting down on her collarbone, and she lets out a moan. 

 

“Fuck me, sweetie. Right here - fuck, I can’t - ” she whispers breathlessly to him, and he takes her other leg and puts it around his waist. “I want everyone to watch you fuck me.”

 

“River -” he gasps, breaking away from her neck to lean his forehead into hers and look her in the eyes. “Please, River.”

 

“Fuck me,” she says softly, leaning in to place a soft kiss on his lips. “Fuck me like you own me.”

 

He growls and lets her hands do the work on his trousers, dropping them around his ankles along with his boxers. Her heels dig into his back but it’s the kind of pain that just adds to his pleasure, and he can’t help himself from taking her wrists and pinning them by her head with his hands.

 

“I own you?” he asks her softly, and she whimpers, her head falling forwards against his own. “I’m not fucking you until you answer me, dear.”

 

“Yes,” she breathes, and he plunges inside her in one go, making her gasp in surprise. But before she can get used to the feeling of him inside her, he pulls out completely again, and she moans her protest.

 

“I own your body?” he asks in the same voice, soft and stern. The room behind him is full of noises he can’t register in his brain because all that matters is River - River like this, River giving herself to him, River owning him too.

 

“Yes,” she whispers desperately, a whine to her voice that gives away just how aroused she is right now. She’s forgotten everything about what she’s supposed to be doing all because of her husband.

 

He enters her in one long stroke and pulls out again quickly, making her feet curl into him in frustration, her heels digging deeper into his skin. 

 

“I own your hearts?” he asks, his voice still stern, but his eyes gentle, and she looks him in the eye as she answers.

 

“Both.”

 

Their hips align and he thrusts forwards until they meet, and both of them let out a delectable moan at the feeling. Their mouths meet for another gripping kiss and he doesn’t move for a few long moments, savouring the feeling of being inside her. 

 

“You own me too,” he whispers, his hips drawing back slowly. “All of me.”

 

She whimpers, her fists clenching into little balls by her head as she struggles to keep her eyes open to survey the party. People are already starting to find partners and retreat to certain corners of the large room. She spots three women with two men in various positions, and two men fucking passionately by the tower wine glasses. Everyone is in some state of undress and she lays her head back against the wall and smirks, because the show is about to start.

 

The moment she thinks that, the Doctor starts driving into her with abandon, hips moving against hers feverishly, pumping hard and fast. Her hearts start pumping double time and she tries to move her hips against hers, giving both of them some stimulation, but the Doctor holds her so firmly against the wall that she can’t help but just lay back on it and let her husband pleasure her as he pleases.

 

Her mind is growing hazier and hazier, and she can feel her release approaching, even as she fights it off to focus on her target - the soul sucking woman who had tried to seduce the Doctor earlier. She finds Nikita bent over, her hands braced against the adjacent wall with another brute fondling her. River’s vision starts blurring around the edges as the Doctor moves deeper and deeper, and she can’t help herself this time. When she comes, she screams. 

 

The Doctor draws her to him and kisses her even more desperately, and River knows that it’s just the wine he’d had earlier - but he would never be this aroused if he wasn’t already feeling it in the first place. Feeling boneless from her orgasm, she registers that everyone is realising that she’d screamed - and she knows that soon enough, everyone will be gathered to watch. It was an odd rule in the party - the first one brought to a screaming orgasm would be watched by everyone else. 

 

The Doctor pushes off against the wall, her legs still around his waist, and carries her to a table where there were some empty glasses being set down. He pushes them all to the side and the glasses crash against the floor, but no one pays it any mind. He sets her down on the table and kisses her again, softer this time. 

 

“What do you want me to do to you now, honey?” he asks, his lips against her ear. “Do you want me to spread your legs and bury my face in between? Or do you want me to bend you over this table right here?”

 

She moans at the images flashing behind her eyelids, biting her lip as she thinks about it. She can see the crowd gathering to watch them, like some fascinating movie, and she spots Nikita weaving her way through the crowd in front of her.

 

In reply, she finds the Doctor’s eyes and spreads her knees as wide as they can go. The Doctor smiles and leans in for a chaste kiss before licking his lips, those dark eyes looking right at her, and kneeling down and disappearing under her skirt. 

 

His hands pull her to the edge of the table, and she has to balance herself by laying her weight on her arms, outstretched behind her. Her fingers curl around the tablecloth as she feels the first flick of his tongue against her clit, bucking slightly into his face. Her lips curl in a satisfied smirk as she keeps her eye contact with Nikita, feeling childishly triumphant at the fact that the man that the other woman had tried to seduce was now currently tonguing her cunt quite expertly. 

 

One of her hands move between her legs to grip at his hair, mouth open as she begins to pant and moan into the air around her. In her haze, she sees a hooded figure bend down behind Nikita and expertly fiddle with something, and she knows that it’s safe to close her eyes and tilt her head back.

 

Her husband licks at her, sucks at her clit and plunges three fingers into her, fucking her steadily. His tongue swipes left and right and up and down quickly, and she jerks and bucks into his face, and when he has her clit in her mouth and hums, she screams again, her thighs shaking slightly and her head thrown back. 

 

“ _ Fuck! _ ” she shouts, as he resurfaces, wiping the back of his hand against his face. 

 

He pulls her up and onto her feet, turning her around and bending her across the table. 

 

“I’m not done with you yet, wife.”

 

*

 

It’s only later, in bed, after several lengthy rounds of sex, does he remember one very important detail.

 

“The bomb!” he shouts in panic, and River glances over at him sleepily. 

 

“What, sweetie?”

 

“River, the bomb! We didn’t - I forgot about - wait a minute, why didn’t the bomb go off?” he asks her, and she lets out a deep, hoarse (the Doctor is quite proud of himself for that) chuckle. 

 

“I told you, sweetie, distraction,” she says, her eyes still closed. 

 

“But - but I don’t -”

 

“Someone else dismantled the bomb while everyone watched you fuck me into the next century,” she says casually, and the Doctor’s cheeks turn red.

 

“You’re the one who screamed,” he mumbles, embarrassed.

 

“Yes,” she sighs, satisfaction settling into her bones. The Doctor hugs his wife closer. “You’re the only one who can make me scream like that.”


End file.
